Intravenous attachment



Oct. 27, 1953 E. EISENSTEIN INTRAVENOUS ATTACHMENT Filed Feb. 1, 1952 coumQo EISENSTEIPLD INVENTOR. "@M/M QTTORNEHS Patented Oct. 27, 1953 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE INTRAVENOUS ATTACHMENT Edward Eisenstein, Los Angeles, Calif.

Application February 1, 1952, Serial No. 269,511

2 Claims.

This invention relates to an intravenous attachment or to a device which will permit of a plurality of fluids being injected intravenously. It may be regarded as an improvement over the construction disclosed in United States Letters Patent No. 2,129,983, issued September 13, 1938, to J. H. Bacon.

Explanatory of the present invention, there are many instances in surgery where it is desired to introduce a plurality of fluids intravenously. For example, a glucose solution may be introduced intravenously and during the injection of the glucose solution it may be desirable to also introduce an anesthetic or whole blood, or both. It may also be desirable to discontinue the introduction of the anesthetic or the whole blood or both. In adding the anesthetic or the whole blood or discontinuing the addition of these fluids it is highly desirable that the intravenous needle which has already been injected into the vein be left undisturbed.

It is frequently highly important when an additional fluid is supplied that it reach the intravenous needle and pass therefrom into the vein very promptly.

An object of the present invention is to provide a construction wherein the additional fluid or fluids can be supplied to the conduit leading to the intravenous needle at a point very close to the intravenous needle so that a minimum amount of time is lost in transmitting the added fluid to the intravenous needle and injecting it into the vein.

Another object of the invention is to provide an attachment in the form of a tubular body adapted to be incorporated in the conduit leading to the intravenous needle at a point very close to the intravenous needle and which has a flexible laterally extending branch equipped at its entrance with a self-sealing device. The added fluid can be introduced into this branch by means of a hypodermic needle thrust through the self-sealing device and upon withdrawal of the hypodermic needle the entrance to the branch would be automatically or self-sealed. Due to the flexibility of the branch the hypodermic needle can be thrust through the self-sealing device and withdrawn therefrom without disturbing the intravenous needle which may have already been thrust into the vein. The flexibility of the branch prevents all ordinary movements of the branch occasioned by the insertion of the hypodermic needle or its withdrawal therefrom from being transmitted to the intravenous needle.

With the Oregoing and other objects in view,

which will be made manifest in the following detailed description and specifically pointed out in the appended claims, reference is had to the accompanying drawings for an illustrative embodiment of the invention, wherein:

Figure 1 is a view in elevation illustrating a construction embodying the present invention under circumstances wherein only a single fluid is being supplied intravenously; and

Fig. 2 is a similar view, parts being broken away and shown in vertical section, illustrating the manner in which an added fluid may be supplied to the intravenous needle.

Referring to the accompanying drawings wherein similar reference characters designate similar parts throughout, Ill indicates an. elevated source of supply or reservoir containing a liquid or fluid adapted to be supplied to the patient intravenously. This fluid may flow by gravity from the elevated reservoir through a flexible conduit l l which may be equipped with a pinch valve 12. Usually such conduit has incorporated therein a glass or transparent drip tube I3 within which .there is a nozzle from which the fluid in the container It] may be observed to drip so that the rate at which the fluid in the container I0 is supplied to the intravenous needle [4 may be observed.

The intravenous needle [4 is illustrated as having been inserted into a vein of the patient and to have been temporarily anchored in such position such as by adhesive tape I 5.

The attachment embodying the present invention comprises a rubber tube l6 that is open from end to end having one end applicable to the end of the conduit l l. The other end of the tubular member IE is applicable to the intravenous needle adapter ll. In this manner the tubular body [5 can be located very close to the intravenous needle [4.

Integral with the tubular body 15 there is a flexible laterally extending branch l8 which communicates with the interior of the tubular member l6 intermediate its ends. The outer or free end of the branch I8 is enlarged and closed by a self-sealing means Hi. This merely consists of a relatively large and comparatively thick body of soft rubber through which one or more hypodermic needles 20 of hypodermic syringes may be thrust.

If a glucose solution, for example, is being supplied to the patient intravenously from the reservoir In and it is desired to administer an anesthetic, the hypodermic syringe 2| may be filled with the anesthetic and its needle thrust through the rubber cap Id. The anesthetic can then be forced into the branch 18 and caused to quickly flow from the branch into the intravenous needle [4 along with the glucose solution that is being supplied from the reservoir It). It may be desirable to discontinue the administration of further anesthetic and under such circumstances the needle 26 can be withdrawn. The flexibility and compressibility of the cap I9 is such as to cause the hole formed by the needle 29 to automatically close or self-seal upon withdrawal of the needle. administer an additional fluid such as, for exam ple, whole blood, this may be supplied iby'replac" ing the syringe 2! with a syringe containing,

whole blood or, if desired, two syringes 2! may both have their needles it simultaneously thrust through the cap IS in side by side relationship and both fluids supplied to the needle l4 inaddition to the glucose solution.

It will be understood that the fluids mentioned herein are mentioned by way of explanation only and that any combination of otherfluids that it is desired to administer to the patient intravenously may be employed-ii desired:

Due to the flexibility of the lateral branch [8 the insertion of one or. more needles 20 or the withdrawal of these needles does not involve a disturbance or displacement of. the needle 14. Any jerking of the branch occasioned by the insertion or withdrawal of the needles 20 is ordinarily not transmitted'to the body It or to the needle M.

From the above described construction it will 'be appreciated'that by means of the improved If it is desired to also.

these take place very close to the intravenous needle does not disturb or displace the intravenous needle. The improved construction also enables a better control to be obtained over the quantity and concentration of the liquid injected through the lateral branch.

Various changes may be made in the details of the construction without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention as defined by the appended claims.

I claim:

1. A device of the class described comprising a tubular member adapted to be incorporated in thelconduit'leading from a source of fluid supply .to an intravenous needle adjacent the intravenous needle, said tubular member having a flexible lateraltbranch conduit connected through and the branch [8 is located quite close to the intra- V V venous needle l4. Furthermore, the construction is quite versatile in that additional fluids may be supplied to the patient either simultaneously or successively anddiscontinued as occasion may require.

The insertion and withdrawal A of the needlesof the syringes 21 even though communicating therewith intermediate its ends, and self-sealing means closing the outer end of the branch conduit enabling one or more hypodermic needles to be inserted therein to supply an additional fluid or fluids to the tubular member and upon Withdrawal of the hypodermic needles to self-seal against ingress.

2. In combination, a source of fluid adaptedto be injected intravenously, an intravenous needle, a conduit connecting the source of supply to the intravenous needle, a laterally extending flexible branch conduit connected to said conduit and communicating therewith adjacent the intravenous needle, and self-sealing means closing the entrance'to the branch conduit enabling one or more hypodermic needles to be inserted therethrough to introduce one or more additional fluids therein and upon withdrawal of the hypodermic needles to self-seal.

EDWARD EISENSTEIN.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 2,129, 3 Bacon Sept. 13, 1938 2, ,3 4 Shaw Apr. 11, 1944 

